Friday, December 19, 2014

Friday again!Sometimes, especially in this busy holiday season, I’d love to have a lazy, inside daywith nothing intruding from outside.No computer, no TV, no phone ~curled up on the couch with a good book: PURE BLISS!!

My father's world moved at a slower pacea half a century ago, as he showedon Saturday, October 1, 1960 when he wrote from Lansdowne House:

Evening Folks:Today was sort of a lost cause as days go. It rained, or snowed, or tried to do one or the other most of the day. All in all, the weather was inclement.

Sunset overNorthern Ontario.On route to IcelandMay 2014

Uno and I spent the morning in bed trying to persuade ourselves that we should get up and get our housecleaning done. We finally made it up for dinner, but not before we were fifteen minutes late.The reason we were so reluctant, or perhaps I should say reasons, were first it was very cold, and second, we had been up very late last night. We didn’t get home from MacRaes'till about two o’clock in the morning. I am getting to be an awful early-to-bed, early-to-rise boy and can’t take these late nights like I used to.

Brian Booth

We played bridge till about eleven o’clock, and then Brian, the clerk at Hudson’s Bay, dropped in. After that we didn’t know what to do because only four can play bridge.

Then I introduced those poor uninformed upper Canadians to Auction Forty-Five. They were quite taken with the gameand insisted on playing it into the wee small hours.

It’s funny about that game. I never found anyone outside the Maritimes who plays the game. Must be a Maritime game exclusively.

I hope that something happens to perk up the letter this week, for so far it strikes me as being very humdrum. However, if I can stand living it, I guess you can stand hearing about it.We finally got around to doing our house cleaning this afternoon, and then I finished answering my mail, something I had started this morning in bed. After that, Uno slept, and I read some more of a book that I am engrossed in. The name of the book is Advise and Consentby Allen Drury.

It is a novel about Washington politics, and it is absolutely fascinating. If you have a chance to beg, borrow, or steal the book do so. It is quite long, about 600 pages, but I feel that once you get into it, you will find it difficult to put down.

It starts off kind of slowly, but it rapidly picks up interest. Actually, there is no great suspense like one encounters in a detective novel. It is just a novel about the machinations necessary to get a controversial bill or appointment through the U. S. Senate. What makes it so utterly fascinating is the exquisite word pictures of the various Senators and other assorted characters. The author makes them seem so human.

This evening Uno and Brian went up to the show at the hall1, and I typed this and wrote a few other letters, private ones to Sara, and some official correspondence.

Well, that brings us to the end of a very uninteresting day. The bridge game was cancelled because Bill Mitchell was down with a cold.Bye for now,Love, DonNotes (FB):
hall1 ~ Father Ouimet showed movies
in the rec hall on Wednesday and Saturday nights
for anyone in the community who wished to come.
The Three Stooges and Western movies
were very popular with the Indians.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

"Are you okay?" says she."I haven't heard from you,and you haven't posted in almost a week ~You haven't even answered your comments!"Don't you love sisters?They're the best!And Barb was spot on.I haven't been the best.

My Brother Roy(A brothers is great too, even if he calls you "Weasel."

Just a pesky cold that won't quit.I was on the mend until I pushed too hardtaking photographs of the Parker Christmas Carriage Parade.I'd say "Live and learn!"But I'm not so great at that!

My Sister Bertie

So I think I'll take a Christmas weekbreak from posting,just to ease up a littleduring this hectic time.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

If it's the second Saturday in December,then it's time for one of my favorite holiday traditions:the Parker Christmas Carriage Parade.

The Town of Parker and the Colorado Driving Societypresent the parade annually,and the theme for this year was "Let It Snow."Fortunately, it didn't snow,and the weather was mild,which meant for an enjoyable timefor the parade watchers lining the streets.

What makes this parade special

is that it is an all-equestrian event

with participants from all across Colorado.

And of course there is music!

And Rodeo Queens!

The parade has horse-drawn carriages, wagons, surreys, and stagecoaches,as well as riders and beautiful horses.